General information

Established in 1971, the Center for Cross-Cultural Studies is a teaching, research and development unit administered through the UAF College of Liberal Arts. It promotes programs that concentrate on the needs of Alaska's indigenous societies, with particular regard to education and rural issues.

The center offers academic degree programs and course work in cross-cultural studies. It designs and conducts basic and applied research projects, develops and evaluates alternative educational strategies for Alaska schools, and disseminates findings on current research in education and rural community development.

The center gives technical support and information to school districts, social service agencies, Native corporations, tribal governments, community colleges, and state and federal agencies in rural Alaska. It provides direction for improving educational, professional and community development opportunities for rural Alaskans, and it is a forum for examining those issues. Curricula incorporating indigenous knowledge and Native ways of knowing are available through the Alaska Native Knowledge Network on the web at www.ankn.uaf.edu.